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Garrett’s Act introduced

Garrett Mills’ father said that shortly before Garrett’s death, his son had worried about leaving a legacy. Now that legacy will live on to protect others from the dangers of climbing on unanchored soccer nets.

“It does put a smile on my heart to see that there’s a legitimate legacy that’ll come from Garrett’s death,” David Mills told the Whig-Standard on Thursday. “I would trade it all in a heartbeat to have him back. He’d be embarrassed by all of it, but he’d be encouraged to see that this is making a positive impact.”

In the evening of May 12, Garrett, 15, was with his girlfriend and his best friend at Napanee’s King Street Park soccer field before heading to a movie. Mills said his son had been working on his chin-ups, and after reading the Ontario Provincial Police’s report on his son’s death, he learned that his son had done a chin-up on the crossbar of the soccer net when it fell forward and crushed him.

“The first responders from ambulance, OPP, the fire department, ER staff, they did everything they could to try to save him,” Mills said. “He was gone instantly. The accident happened at 5 p.m. and they didn’t call time of death until 5:38 p.m. at the hospital. They really did everything they could.”

On Wednesday, Prince Edward-Hastings MPP Todd Smith, a Conservative, introduced Garrett’s Legacy Act, a private member’s bill, to the Ontario legislature. Co-sponsored by Kingston and the Islands MPP Sophie Kiwala, a Liberal, the act would require movable soccer goals to be secured to the ground.

Mills and Garrett’s mother, Gwen Mills, were in Toronto for the introduction of the bill.

“It was a pretty emotional day,” David Mills said. “I didn’t expect the emotions I felt when we sat in the house and heard our son’s name attached to the Garrett’s Legacy Act … in this big, historical room where legislation has been passed since the 1800s. It was an emotional moment. Speaking for myself and my wife, it still feels very fresh. It feels like we just lost him.

“I don’t think this will bring closure, but at the very least I know that we’ve done what we can to hopefully stop this from happening to another family.”

Since the accident, the community has been overwhelmingly supportive, Mills said. He said it was a colleague that got him in touch with Smith.

“He really picked up the ball and he and his staff did the legwork of putting together this legislation,” Mills said. “We had some options: we were told we could go for an easier way, maybe an insurance amendment, but my and my wife’s concern was accountability.

“The people that are responsible for installing and maintaining these nets, they are fully aware of the risk. So an insurance amendment, we didn’t feel it was enough to emphasize the accountability of making sure that these nets were anchored.”

Mills said Kiwala also reached out to the family to see where she could help.

“Shortly after she found out that we were making this attempt to legislate this anchoring, she reached out to us,” Mills said. “She extended 100 per cent support, which means a lot because having the support of both the Liberals and the PCs improves the likelihood of this passing.”

Kiwala said that as a parent and grandparent, she felt compelled to reach out to them.

“When tragedy like that happens, it can happen to anyone,” Kiwala said. “Even though he’s not in my riding, those connections are important. It’s important when somebody is going through tragedy like that, that they understand that the community is grieving with them.”

She added it was an honour to work with Smith bringing forward the bill.

“I always appreciate the opportunity to work together with other MPPs and other parties,” Kiwala said. “I think it’s important to do that on matters that are non-partisan wherever possible.”

Smith did not reply to the Whig-Standard in time for publication.

Mills said he wouldn’t be able to live with himself if something so tragically simple were to happen to another family, especially in Napanee.

“There’s been an urgency to take something that is horrible and hopefully create something positive so that our son’s death didn’t seem as senseless as it was,” Mills said. “You don’t expect your kids playing in a park may pose a risk to their life.”